Once A&E, the network that airs Duck Dynasty, heard what Phil said in his interview, they took him off the series "indefinitely." They also released a statement saying they were disappointed in how Phil answered the question and that his views did not reflect the views of A&E, because, as it turns out, A&E is a big supporter of the LGBT community.
Initially when I heard what happened to Phil, I was angry. "What about freedom of speech?" "What is happening to our country?" "Wait, just because he's a CHRISTIAN, he can't voice his opinions??" My thoughts were echoed by my family as we talked about how outrageous it was that Phil was being punished for taking a stand for what he believes in. It seemed so unfair that Phil was suspended from Duck Dynasty simply for honestly answering a question in his interview.
Then came the facebook posts. Everyone from everywhere with different views on what happened. "His freedom of speech wasn't taken away, he still got to talk about what he believed." I guess this is true in a sense; Phil does still have freedom of speech, BUT he was punished for using that right. Simply because his views disagreed with the network's views, he was suspended. I don't agree with how A&E handled the situation. I think it was unjust, especially because the Robertson family is so openly a God fearing family. A&E should have known that something like this would happen one day. Why were they so surprised?
But should we really be so shocked?
Should we be appalled that someone of our faith is being persecuted?
Should we be so outraged at what happened to Phil?
No, no, and no.
"Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you." (1 John 3:13)
"If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." (John 15:18-19)
"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12)
Honestly, we've been warned. I'm not saying that A&E was correct in suspending Phil by any means. I still believe that Phil has his rights as an American to voice his opinions. What I'm saying is, we should expect this. We should expect it in Phil's life and we should expect it in our own. The New Testament is full of warnings of persecution and warnings of what it will take to follow Jesus. So why are we surprised when someone actually does face persecution, from the media or from other people or from anything else?
Despite how unfair the situation with Phil may seem to us, if Phil is living out his beliefs, these things are bound to happen. The world does not know us, nor is it very fond of us! The world HATES Christians. It hates those who follow after Christ, because it hated Christ first. There is going to be more where this came from, I can guarantee it. It won't just be Phil being persecuted. It will be anyone who truly desires to live a godly life. We will be persecuted. The Bible tells us it will happen. It will happen because we are hated by the world, and we need to understand that.
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing." (1 Cor. 13:1-3)
We should not be shocked. We should not be angry. Rather, we should respond in a Christ-like manner. We should support the Robertsons and our brothers and sisters facing persecution. We should, indeed, stand up for what we believe in. But we should do it all in love. Without love we are nothing, have nothing. We should do everything in love. We should speak in love. We should watch what we're saying on social media in response to this situation and how we are saying it. We should do this because, I promise, those who don't know Jesus are watching. They're watching for the responses of those who claim to love Jesus. They're watching and waiting to see how we react, if we throw a fit or start spewing angry language all over the place. They're watching, and we need to be good representations of Christ. Be careful.
